American teacher shot dead in Libya's Benghazi

This undated photo provided by Omaima ElFaitori shows Ronald Thomas Smith II. Smith, an American chemistry teacher who was shot to death as he was jogging in Benghazi on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013.

(AP Photo | Omaima ElFaitori

The Associated Press

Published: Friday, December 6, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 6, 2013 at 12:09 a.m.

TRIPOLI, Libya | An American chemistry teacher was shot to death as he was jogging in Benghazi on Thursday, highlighting persistently tenuous security in the eastern Libyan city where the U.S. ambassador was killed last year.

There were no credible claims of responsibility, but suspicion was likely to fall on Islamic militants active in Benghazi.

The slaying came five days after al-Qaida’s American spokesman called upon Libyans to attack U.S. interests everywhere as revenge for U.S. special forces snatching an al-Qaida suspect off the streets of Tripoli in October and whisking him out of the country.

The U.S. State Department identified the teacher as Ronald Thomas Smith II. The State Department did not provide Smith’s hometown, and it was not possible to immediately confirm a statement from a Libyan official that he was from Texas.

The University of Texas in Austin said Smith graduated from the school in 2006 with a master’s degree in chemistry.

Smith taught chemistry at Benghazi’s International School, a Libyan-owned facility that follows a British curriculum.

The Austin church he attended with his wife, Anita, and their son said Smith had been teaching at the Benghazi school for the last year and a half.

The Austin Stone community church said Smith had planned to be home for Christmas.

“Anita and their son had returned to the U.S. and are safe with family. Ronnie, out of a sense of dedication, had stayed in Libya to be with his students through their midterm exams,” Daphne Bamburg, the executive pastor of operations at the church, said in an email.

“Ronnie’s greatest desire was for peace and prosperity in Libya and for the people of Libya to have the joy of knowing God through Christ.”

The school posted condolences on its Facebook page.

A Libyan security official, Ibrahim al-Sharaa, said Smith was shot while jogging near the compound where U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed by Islamic militants in September 2012.

Adel al-Mansouri, the International School’s chairman of the board, told the AP by telephone from Benghazi that Smith jogged every day in Benghazi “without fear” and was very popular among the students.

He said the school, which has 650 pupils ages 4 to 18, had not received any threats. “We have other Western teachers from the United States, Britain and Australia,” al-Mansouri said. “If any of them is worried about the security situation and wants to take early home leave for Christmas, we will let them. But most want to stay.”

<p>TRIPOLI, Libya | An American chemistry teacher was shot to death as he was jogging in Benghazi on Thursday, highlighting persistently tenuous security in the eastern Libyan city where the U.S. ambassador was killed last year. </p><p>There were no credible claims of responsibility, but suspicion was likely to fall on Islamic militants active in Benghazi. </p><p>The slaying came five days after al-Qaida's American spokesman called upon Libyans to attack U.S. interests everywhere as revenge for U.S. special forces snatching an al-Qaida suspect off the streets of Tripoli in October and whisking him out of the country. </p><p>The U.S. State Department identified the teacher as Ronald Thomas Smith II. The State Department did not provide Smith's hometown, and it was not possible to immediately confirm a statement from a Libyan official that he was from Texas. </p><p>The University of Texas in Austin said Smith graduated from the school in 2006 with a master's degree in chemistry. </p><p>Smith taught chemistry at Benghazi's International School, a Libyan-owned facility that follows a British curriculum. </p><p>The Austin church he attended with his wife, Anita, and their son said Smith had been teaching at the Benghazi school for the last year and a half. </p><p>The Austin Stone community church said Smith had planned to be home for Christmas. </p><p>“Anita and their son had returned to the U.S. and are safe with family. Ronnie, out of a sense of dedication, had stayed in Libya to be with his students through their midterm exams,” Daphne Bamburg, the executive pastor of operations at the church, said in an email. </p><p>“Ronnie's greatest desire was for peace and prosperity in Libya and for the people of Libya to have the joy of knowing God through Christ.” </p><p>The school posted condolences on its Facebook page. </p><p>A Libyan security official, Ibrahim al-Sharaa, said Smith was shot while jogging near the compound where U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed by Islamic militants in September 2012. </p><p>Adel al-Mansouri, the International School's chairman of the board, told the AP by telephone from Benghazi that Smith jogged every day in Benghazi “without fear” and was very popular among the students. </p><p>He said the school, which has 650 pupils ages 4 to 18, had not received any threats. “We have other Western teachers from the United States, Britain and Australia,” al-Mansouri said. “If any of them is worried about the security situation and wants to take early home leave for Christmas, we will let them. But most want to stay.”</p>